Ashes 2021/22 and other cricket through the winter of 2021 thread

[VTR]

First topic message reminder :

Don't know anything about that number 9 and 10, are they decent hitters that just happen to be low in the order, or were England again awarding outlier performances to the opposition?

[VTR]

Seems like the kind of day where Campbell will get a hundred, to add to the catalogue of career bests vs England

[alfie]

Nothing much exciting in these first eight overs. Bit of movement but they've really not made them play enough so far. No funny bounce. I suspect wickets are going to be harder to come by today , as they have been generally for this somewhat pedestrian England attack.

Early yet though. Nothing happened for West Indies until Mayers did his five overs 2/0 trick ...

The bowling did look threatening and felt like they did well to survive to that point. Today has been about as threatening as Geoff Boycott's mum bowling from both ends as once

Well that is true. My point being more that once a breakthrough is made , things can follow quickly. But I think we all knew before the game - before the series , in fact - that West Indies had the better pace options available . Even more so with Wood and Robinson sidelined. (Not mentioning the issue of a couple of fairly experienced bowlers being left at home )

I am disappointed with what I have seen so far from the bowlers , even allowing for the pitch being clearly less lively than yesterday. Still hoping that they can improve as the day goes on...heaven knows they will need to .

At 39/0 from 14 I am wondering how soon we will see the spinners ...

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

No breakthrough and a pretty disappointing first hour from England's bowlers that...will need to massively improve if they're to keep us within touching distance of WIndies on 1st innings totals. Leach likely to have to do a big role for us too...

As has been pointed out, it is a much longer batting lineup with Mayers added for Permaul - he won't be coming in at 11 as BBC Sport has him listed!

[alfie]

There it goes at last...Brathwaite gone .

Stokes with the one that keeps low

Think that is going to be the danger ball today as the high bounce doesn't seem to be there , unlike the first morning.

Hopefully that will lift the rest of the bowlers...

[alfie]

Hmm. Overton bangs Campbell on the helmet as he misjudged the bounce. Suddenly batting doesn't look quite so easy.

Mahmood back With a maiden. And Overton hits Campbell again.

That fifty opening stand might prove gold dust for West Indies if the uneven bounce becomes pronounced . They do have to bat last , after all ...unless they get a monster score.

[alfie]

Bit of a concern that Stokes hasn't come back on the field yet. Really don't need him injured again !

Both batsmen hesitant against the short ball at present. England need to turn this bit of uncertainty into wickets if they're to get back into this game. Might not get too many windows of opportunity...

[AlciG]

Why not review that? Looks to be going down leg to me....

And I was very wrong

[alfie]

Mahmood gets Brooks...similar to the Brathwaite dismissal . 68/2 and the variable bounce is definitely making things awkward for the bats...

Stokes back on field too I'm relieved to see. Can Mahmood enlarge on this breach ?

[alfie]

Foakes and Overton like this : yes !

Good review and that's three down ...good use of the short ball by COverton

69/3. Game on ?

[AlciG]

WI's about to go off the rails

[AlciG]

Foakes and Overton like this : yes !

Good review and that's three down ...good use of the short ball by COverton

69/3.  Game on ?

With WI's brittle lineup I'd say yes. Easily game on.

[alfie]

Interesting situation near lunch. More runs than England had at the same stage yesterday , but the same three wickets down.

We saw yesterday that the older and softer ball lost its potency so if West Indies can negotiate the period after lunch they are still on top. But at the moment things are a bit ...poised ?

That's lunch. 71/1. Shame I need to sleep but will have to catch up later...

[VTR]

Quite a turnaround, does show what garbage that first hour was. Still, I will take 3 down as I really couldn't see where a wicket was coming from at one point

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

What a horrendous review

[AlciG]

I'd say England on top at the moment

[AlciG]

Seriously... what shot was that from Holder... very disappointing

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Two batsmen bounced out in an over by…Chris Woakes

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

That is a pretty atrocious drop by Foakes, Blackwood gets a reprieve off Mahmood

[AlciG]

Not reprieved for long... WI collapsing

[alfie]

Hmm. Back after a nap to see that some chap called Woakes has somehow taken three wickets ?

Who is this fellow ? Not the one who cannot bowl outside England , surely ...

Short ball tactics seem to be working for England then. Trouble being the ball is now 38 overs old and sooner or later it's going to get a bit too soft . Probably need to get one of Mayers or Da Silva pretty soon.

[alfie]

Mayers seems to be proving an inspired selection ... Serious damage with the ball and now he's turning the attack back on the England bowlers with aggressive shots while the stubborn Da Silva defends.

Not down to 10-11 yet but this might be the key partnership .

116/6 and that ball softening time might be here ?

Time for Leach. Let us see what spin can do...

[alfie]

I should have stayed in bed... Twenty odd runs coming quickly and now England waste a precious review with a stupid try against Da Silva

I didn't see the earlier dropped catch but Foakes seems to be total rubbish at these lbw referrals , I'm afraid.

124/6 and they really need that break as batting is starting to look a lot easier...

[Duty281]

134/7 at tea. Odd test, it keeps going in different directions.

West Indies 68/1 through the most difficult point, then collapsed swiftly against the softening ball, pretty much the opposite of yesterday.

Advantage England, but in these low-scoring tests it only takes one top effort with the bat to reverse that.

[alfie]

Actually pretty similar - except they've scored a bit faster than England. England wickets fell mostly in the 22-35 over period and so have most of the West Indian ones.

Worry for England is they stopped taking wickets after 53...

[alfie]

Advantage West Indies now , I think as this partnership develops. Long way to the new ball and it is hard to see how they are going to break through with tiring pace men and Leach not really threatening.

158/7 ... getting closer to the 204 and we haven't seen the 10 and 11 yet

They do have to bat last though , I guess. Unless the seemingly immovable Da Silva makes a hundred...

[AlciG]

Looks like a wasted review

[AlciG]

Looks like a wasted review

Yep... and none left

[Duty281]

The ICC should just ban England from reviews. Three shockers in 65 overs.

[alfie]

England waste their last review... how predictable.

Going to need a run out or a rush of blood or these two will be batting to the close... 171/7

[alfie]

Aha ! Overton at last has Joseph tickling one to Foakes ... Some relief for England . 177/8 Very valuable runs from Joseph !

Can they possibly get the last two now ?

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

West Indies take the lead 8 down - fair to say this isn’t the highest quality cricket we’ve ever seen, but at least this game is shaping up to have a more entertaining conclusion

[Duty281]

28 the overnight lead, two wickets left. Very useful lead in this type of match - if the West Indies nudge it past 50 it'll be a considerable advantage.

[kingraf]

41 run lead. Looks like the kind of pitch where that kind of lead makes a diffrence, because it's already going up and down. Mostly down

[Duty281]

The tenth wicket got overturned on review, making it the 17th overturned decision in the series! Followed by Seales trapped plumb LBW, but incorrectly given not out, and England have no reviews.

Hopefully back to the old umpiring system soon.

[guildfordbat]

Saqib out. Great knock from him and Leach. Given England a chance in this game.

I know Guildford will hate it (would have wanted to come back out so the Windies openers can’t prepare!), but that wicket isn’t the worst thing. The pitch was at it’s spiciest in the morning so time for the bowlers to get into their work first thing.

Hi JD - the irritation England are experiencing now is what I was hoping the Windies would experience - even if only a bit - on day two.

[guildfordbat]

The tenth wicket got overturned on review, making it the 17th overturned decision in the series! Followed by Seales trapped plumb LBW, but incorrectly given not out, and England have no reviews.

Hopefully back to the old umpiring system soon.

Yep, poor umpiring again there. Highlighting again poor use by England of reviews having burnt all three yesterday.

[Soul Requiem]

The umpires are poor but Root is an even worse captain.

[JDizzle]

Saqib out. Great knock from him and Leach. Given England a chance in this game.

I know Guildford will hate it (would have wanted to come back out so the Windies openers can’t prepare!), but that wicket isn’t the worst thing. The pitch was at it’s spiciest in the morning so time for the bowlers to get into their work first thing.

Hi JD - the irritation England are experiencing now is what I was hoping the Windies would experience - even if only a bit - on day two.

It is true, but the Windies do have a recognised batter at the crease in Da Silva so I think you can trust him to add some more runs whereas England had Mahmood/Leach so the few overs they might absorb weren’t worth as much as bowling on that pitch first thing.

[guildfordbat]

The umpires are poor but Root is an even worse captain.

''You reap what you sow, Joe'', says Gower reflecting on the wasted reviews.

[kingraf]

This is a really bad passage of cricket. Like exceptionally bad. This entire month has been cricket in the 2000s, and it honestly is no wonder a brand new format was sprung if this is all people had to watch\

[alfie]

The tenth wicket got overturned on review, making it the 17th overturned decision in the series! Followed by Seales trapped plumb LBW, but incorrectly given not out, and England have no reviews.

Hopefully back to the old umpiring system soon.

Yep, poor umpiring again there. Highlighting again poor use by England of reviews having burnt all three yesterday.

Nothing to do with the system - except that it breeds poor , or at least very ordinary , umpires. But absolutely brainless taking of reviews on a whim.

England's - not exactly new - failure to dismiss the tail might just cost them match and series...

[guildfordbat]

Saqib out. Great knock from him and Leach. Given England a chance in this game.

I know Guildford will hate it (would have wanted to come back out so the Windies openers can’t prepare!), but that wicket isn’t the worst thing. The pitch was at it’s spiciest in the morning so time for the bowlers to get into their work first thing.

Hi JD - the irritation England are experiencing now is what I was hoping the Windies would experience - even if only a bit - on day two.

It is true, but the Windies do have a recognised batter at the crease in Da Silva so I think you can trust him to add some more runs whereas England had Mahmood/Leach so the few overs they might absorb weren’t worth as much as bowling on that pitch first thing.

Fair enough, JD, though you'll probably never teach an old dog like me new tricks. As you said at outset, I just like the opening bats left wondering and sweating as to when they'll be walking to the crease.

Btw, been mighty impressed by Da Silva's batting. Not for the first time in this series. First dig, first test - he showed admirable resilience in partnership with Bonner.

[alfie]

Pitch is dead flat though , isn't it ? Bat properly and England oughtto be able to bat themselves back into this.

Trouble is West Indies bowlers might be a bit more dangerous than these generally medium pace trundlers. Yeah I know that's a bit mean but I really don't rate these bowlers - and uninspiring captaincy isn't helping. Da Silva has been helping himself to leg side easy runs for ages : when does someone decide a plan isn't working ?

66 lead. Handy at least.

[alfie]

Da Silva beginning to resemble Dravid . Be batting all day the way this is going. Might just be the match winning innings ?

Suspect this is Root's last game as skipper . Not all his fault - lost all his best bowlers one way or another - but another lost series surely means his time is up. Whether Stokes will do any better heaven knows but you'd think they have to do something to change things - the players are by and large the best available but they just aren't getting results and perhaps a change of leader will make some difference ...

Game isn't totally gone yet but it's looking that way. Goodnight all...

[alfie]

And congrats Da Silva ...an excellent hundred. Patient and sensible ...really well played

[alfie]

93 lead ... OK more yet as Da Silva is reprieved by drs even though he'd walked off

Weird.

[Galted]

Go to bed, alfie, you're just torturing yourself.

[Galted]

Ok, you can mention that Seales is out and then off to bed.

[JDizzle]

Pitch is dead flat though , isn't it ?  Bat properly and England oughtto be able to bat themselves back into this.  

I would agree with this - bar the first morning this pitch has been pretty benign as we’ve seen from both teams lower orders. And only the batting we expected from the top orders at the start of the series has meant it is 200 plays 300.

If England can get through the first 25 overs unscathed, they have a chance to put a total on the board that the Windies won’t relish chasing.

[VTR]

Pitch is easily flat enough for England to lose by an innings!

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